Science, Spirit and Meditation

Swami Satyananda Saraswati

It is gratifying to find that science and yoga, which until recently seemed to be diametrically opposite to each other, are drawing closer together. Science is starting to study and utilize yogic techniques and yoga is starting to speak increasingly in scientific terms and to use scientific knowledge. No longer is science concerned totally with the material aspects of existence. More and more it is beginning to concern itself with, and to investigate, the spiritual or non-material facets of existence. Science, by showing modern intellectual people the physical by-products associated with spiritual phenomena, will surely open more minds to the truth and possibilities of religion, yoga and other spiritual paths or methods of mind exploration.

At the end of the last century many eminent scientists came to the conclusion that they knew so much that there was nothing important left to discover and investigate. Then Einstein, Freud and other open-minded scientists came and through their investigations showed that there was indeed much more to know and discover in the universe. Because of this, modern scientists are very aware of the possibilities open to them in the field of investigation and are very careful not to become complacent. It is for this reason that various research projects are currently investigating the phenomena of spiritual experiences. Actually, it is strange that science has not investigated this field before, considering that it was over fifty years ago that Freud published his findings on the lower unconscious mind, and that geniuses and saints throughout the ages have shown the possibilities of higher stages of mind awareness.

One of the most interesting fields of investigation of modern science is research into the physical manifestations of mediation. These are still in their infancy, but are already throwing much light on the utility of meditation for physiological, psychological and spiritual benefits. It seems more than a possibility that science will eventually greatly help people to tread the spiritual path. Devices such as biofeedback instruments are being utilized by some to gain higher states of meditation. Modern forms of psychology, in particular, are very concerned with spiritual growth in an individual, as well as psychological health. A notable example is psychosynthesis, which actually has the same aims as yoga: integration of the whole being, of an individual and eventual self-realization.

Let us discuss various fields where science and yoga are approaching or have gained common ground. Modern ideas in the field of psychology are surprisingly like yogic ideas propounded thousands of years ago in the form of Samkhya philosophy. In yoga it is the whole nature of a person that is important. This means the physical, mental, emotional, psychic and spiritual aspects of man. All these aspects are developed, or rather we should say that the dormant faculties in each individual are revealed, through the practice of yoga. This is the true spiritual path, where all these aspects are integrated to make man a whole being.

Psychology in general (there are exceptions such as psychosynthesis, which was formulated by Roberto Assagioli in 1910) until comparatively recently has only been concerned with certain restricted facets of man’s being, almost ignoring other influences on an individual’s life. For example, Freud, the father of western psychology, postulated that man’s prime motive in life was sexual satisfaction and self-preservation. This is, to say the least, a rather limited view of man’s psychological being and his aspirations. Yet even today there are many psychologists who believe in this idea. Of course Jung was very progressive in his ideas, which accepted that there were deeper influences and aspects of man which most people are not aware of.

All psychological considerations of man have tended to treat him in isolation from his environment and other things that influence his being, such as the spiritual aspects of man’s existence. As such, psychology could never really give anything that even slightly approaches a reasonable explanation of man. Consequently all psychological therapies that followed from the psychological theories were not very successful. They helped man in some ways, but not in any way that led to happiness or evolution of being.

Jung was probably the psychologist who most helped psychology to adopt a holistic or complete attitude to man’s existence. His ideas, however, have only recently been considered seriously by other psychologists on a large scale. Partly from his teachings, various modern schools of thought have been indirectly or directly developed, for instance, growth psychology, gestalt psychology, organismic psychology, height psychology and various others. They all see man as a multi-dimensional being and all are very much in accordance with yogic thought. They all realize that any understanding of man must consider all aspects of existence, both objective and subjective. If any part of existence is omitted, such as the spiritual aspect, only a partial picture of man can be formulated.

All of the modern forms of psychology are very much concerned with the flowering of potential in each individual. This is referred to as self-actualization. It is the progressive unfoldment of each person’s innate capacities. This is exactly what yoga is all about, but instead of self-actualization, yoga refers to self-realization in all spheres of being, or awareness of one’s inner nature and its expression. The final aim of yoga is self-realization, where an individual has manifested all his potential to the peak, to the ultimate, where he is in tune, in perfect harmony with his inner being and his external environment.

In modern psychology a self-actualized person is exactly the same type of person who has expressed all his latent potential, innate abilities and no longer reacts adversely to his personality and surroundings, harmonizing with everything external and internal. Both modern psychology and yoga stress the importance of evolution, of continual growth of each individual from ‘less wholeness’ to ‘more wholeness’. The final aim according to yoga is oneness with existence, with God, with supreme consciousness. Psychologists as yet have not actually stated this as the final goal, but who knows, they may postulate this some time in the near future. Some schools, however, such as psychosynthesis, have said that self-realization is the ultimate aim of life.

In the past, psychology has tended to assume that a man is psychologically bound by fixed drives and motivations. It therefore assumed that a man should fulfill these so-called drives in endless repetition. However, this continual satisfaction of basic needs, though necessary, only removes tensions and frustrations for a short time. It in no way allows the individual to remove completely the basic tensions in his life. Modern psychology and yoga emphasize the importance of transcendence, the overall growth of an individual so that he does not stay in the same life mould. He should continually seek higher forms of fulfillment, the reason for higher aspiration being that the new aspiration is more joyous, more blissful than the previous. In this way the evolving individual leaves lower forms of drives behind because they are less satisfying. Yoga has always said this, and modern psychology is agreeing with yoga more and more in this context.

Modern psychologists have become greatly interested in mediation and have started to do research in this direction. They have not only preformed scientific experiments but have even started referring to ancient texts on meditation to gain some insight into its implications and utility. They are even trying meditation for themselves and experiencing things that take them way beyond their normal intellectualization. Such has been the insight, obtained partly through meditation, that psychologists have started to redefine their definition of a normal human being. They have postulated that most people, from the day they were born, are subjected to constant classifications. In other words, people are indoctrinated that things are good/bad, persons are black/white, persons are Christian/Muslim/Hindu, persons are clever/dull and so on. We love or we hate. We become totally involved in a word categorization that prevents us seeing the world as it really is. People become automated. Many psychologists have declared that one of the main aims of psychology should be to de-automate people.

Modern thinkers, especially psychologists, are very concerned with the damaging effect that fast, competitive living can have on the mind. It is indeed a truth that mental problems and diseases are becoming epidemic. Psychologists realize that each person must have a mind that can face a bombardment of intense external activity. Many have realized that each person must become his own psychological adviser. The method that is being widely recommended and adopted is meditation. It is the universal way of removing or preventing excessive worry, conflict and stress. It is also the sure way to a positive and contented life.

At least it is becoming widely accepted that meditation is neither a sleep nor a hypnotic state. In this context, psychologists are only considering persons who sit down at a regular time to meditate for a short duration. The fact that certain highly evolved people are continually in a state of meditation, sleeping and waking, should indicate that meditation is beyond sleep and hypnotism. More and more psychologists are advising people to practice meditation so that they can observe their inner functioning. In this way they can become aware of overactivity of the different organs and the brain itself, and steps can be taken to rectify any overstimulation or malfunctioning. This is the best method of treating disease, stop it before is occurs. Half an hour of meditation every morning helps to bring quietude and to thereby improve external activities. Our ability to perform our daily work and play depends entirely on our inner being. If our inner being is not in harmony, then our interaction with the external environment cannot possibly be harmonious.

Meditation is the sure way to counteract pessimism, depression, tension and so on, states of mind which most people have accepted as a normal part of life. Even psychologists now believe this and modern progressive thinkers in the field of psychology have stated this idea. They now believe, like yoga that the normal state of man should be a continuous expression of joy. Meditation can be utilized by everyone for mood control, to switch off negative states and to replace them with states of well-being.

One of man’s greatest problems is his inability to adapt to change. A hundred years ago and before, and even now in countries that have not developed a technological society, this was no problem for there were virtually no changes from year to year, let alone from day-to-day. Technological societies, however, are in a continual state of change. The changes occur faster that the mind can adapt to them. The result is mental disorder, in a minor or major way depending on the individual. Psychology has recognized this problem and is recommending meditation as the sure way to develop the capacity to face change.

Psychology has always recognized the need to know the extensive inner workings of the unconscious mind. It has tended to be concerned with the part of the unconscious that contains our complexes and phobias. This is, of course, necessary in order to purge the deep-rooted conflicts that tend to dominate our lives. The method used by yoga, and also increasingly by modern fields of psychology, is meditation. Yet at the same time it is important to explore the vast regions of the mind, the higher unconscious, to use psychological terms, in which are contained our hidden capacities, abilities, our inner potentialities. Many of us have a true vocation in life, a natural flair to do certain things, yet because we don’t know them, we never do them. In a sense we are in a state of continual frustration. If we would express this potential, then we would start to live self-actualizing, creative and happy lives. The method is through meditation. In this way we can find our inner being and then start to fulfill its innate nature. We can start to do what we are best at.